Looking Back
by I'veMadeItMyOTP
Summary: Luna is crazy about Neville. Neville doesn't know why. But, to get the full picture, we've got to go back. Back to the beginning and all the way forward to the Battle of Hogwarts.
1. Chapter 1

Neville Longbottom wasn't handsome. He wasn't a guy that girls swooned and wrote in their diaries about. That is why he still doesn't know why Luna Lovegood was crazy about him. But to get the full story, we have to go back. Back to Luna's first year at Hogwarts all the way to the Battle of Hogwarts.

_Ten Years Ago_

Luna Lovegood followed behind the trail of first years, gazing at the ceiling above. She'd always known that the ceiling in Hogwarts' Great Hall mimicked the sky outside, but she hadn't imagined it to be so magnificent. It was a brilliant blue colour, with little twinkling dots for stars. She stared at the tables around her, which were Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, Slytherin, and Gryffindor.

After a while, her eyes were fixed on a boy in Gryffindor. He looked... different, compared to everyone else at the table. Luna liked different. She made a promise to herself that she would be his friend, because he looked lonely. She was still in a daze when Professor McGonagall called her name.

She stepped up to the stool on which the Sorting Hat was resting on. Professor lifted the hat off the stool and Luna sat on it. After the hat was on her head, it hummed curiously. "Hmm... Kind heart... Wonderful mind, bit scary though... Better be... RAVENCLAW!" the hat exclaimed.

Everyone clapped, especially the Ravenclaws, as she hopped off the stool and skipped to the Ravenclaw table calmly. A girl patted her back like they were old friends when she sat down, though Luna _did_ think that she looked familiar...

After everyone was sorted, the feast started. Luna didn't talk much, only engaging in a single conversation that lasted only a sentence after she'd joined it, but it didn't matter to her much. She was still determined to find out more about the boy, Neville Longbottom (She'd asked one of the boys at her table).

Once the feast was over, all of the children merged into a clump, breaking away when the prefects announced which houses were to follow them. Luna decided to stay with her group and talk to Neville the next day. Once in the Common Room, she trudged behind a group of girls climbing up a winding staircase.

She dressed in her night clothes and quickly fell asleep, staring through the open window at the glistening stars.

The next day began with a rush. First, Luna woke up late. She ran to the bathroom, which oddly enough was calm, given that most classes started at nine thirty and it was already nine fifteen. She brushed her teeth and simaltaniously combed her hair; then she put on her uniform.

Running down the staircase, she slipped on the bottom stair and fell down. A boy (Whom Luna recognized as Neville) stopped and helped her up. "I do that a lot," he said, sympathetically. "By the way, I'm Neville. This is my second year at Hogwarts."

Luna was suprised at Neville's kindness. Back home, whenever she tripped someone called her clumsy. Scratching her head, she replied,"Oh. I'm Luna. First year." She felt wonderful. She didn't think anyone would ever want to be her friend, let alone the exact person she wanted to be friends with.

Neville walked her to the Great Hall, where they said goodbye and headed to their tables. From that day on, Neville met Luna at the staircase (But much earlier) and walked her to breakfast, and they made a pact. That they would be best friends until the very end of time.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello my lovelies! I am exceptionally sorry about my absence for the last two months or so, and I just got a bit distracted! But it happens to the best of us, right? So here goes. And this one is just gonna be in Neville's fourth year, Luna's third.**

* * *

Where Neville had been, Luna didn't know, but she accepted the fact that he had come when he could have just ignored her. She smiled happily at the sight of him stumbling clumsily down the tall, steep hill. He waved at her and blushed.

Luna's smile stretched even wider. _He blushed. _She didn't know exactly why, but if you asked her, she would admit casually that she did, in fact, like Neville. As more than friends. She'd been hoping for days that Neville would ask her to the Yule Ball, but there had been no such luck.

Luna assumed that he was waiting for the perfect time to sweep her off her feet and ask her. Which was rather unrealistic, as was the notion that they would ride of into the sunset afterwards on a unicorn. But she had been dreaming all her life, why stop now?

She pulled her knees close to her chest and sighed happily. Maybe this was the day. Maybe-

"Hi, Luna," said Neville merrily. He sat next to her on the chilled grass, watching the trees sway in the wind. "Hello, Neville," Luna answered in an unusually dreamy voice. Her hands instantly tugged at her hair, wringing it like it was soaking wet.

Neville blushed again and smiled shyly. He liked it when she was obviously self-conscious. It made him feel like she wasn't perfect for once. "So are you going to the Yule Ball?" Luna asked trying to sound casual.

Unfortunately, she failed miserably and ended up sounding like she was about to throw up. Which she was about to do because she was nervous. Neville shrugged,"I don't think anyone will go with me."

To Luna, this was a complete lie. Maybe if they'd look closer, they would see what she saw in him, instead of seeing his bashful, clumsy, and slightly clueless exterior. If they looked closer, they'd see a wonderful person worth all the time in the world.

"That's not true, Neville!" Luna exclaimed, rubbing his back lovingly. "Any girl would be lucky to have you! They know that!"

Neville shrugged. "They have a funny way of showing it," he said, feeling dejected. He had been planning on telling his Gran that he had a good time and the girl he went with was gorgeous, without actually going to the Ball.

Of course, Luna was making him doubt himself for that. Maybe he could ask her if she-

"You need to find a date!" Luna squealed. "Do you have anyone in mind? Parvati Patil, or maybe Padma? Hermione? Ginny?"

"Well I was thinking of asking-" Neville started, put stopped himself mid-sentence. Luna wouldn't want to go with him. He didn't even know if she wanted to go period. He could never figure out what people were thinking. And maybe it was better if he didn't.

"Who?" Luna asked innocently, her eyes glittering passionately. Neville scratched his head nervously,"It's nothing.."

Luna shrugged as if she wasn't interested and she went on to something else. This was one of the reasons he liked her. She never asked questions if you seemed uncomfortable.

After two hours of talking about nothing in particular, Luna swung around to the Yule Ball again. "What were you going to say earlier?" she asked, staring deep into his eyes.

"I was wondering," Neville paused. "If you wanted to go to the Ball with me... But it's stupid. I'll ask someone else..."

Luna couldn't express the happiness she felt, so she just pounced on him and said,"Yes! A billion times _yes!_"


End file.
